Gestures

[Arla Ordo]

“So a woman bought a swan that use to be a duck – also known as “a creature that became more than what was hoped for”

Arla felt a bit like the swan. For so long she had been the duck wandering and being less than what she could be. And through the actions of a few she had become more than what she had been. But one person had done more for her than any other.

The one who taught her, had patience for her, listened to her, and accepted her just as she was. Faults and all.

This person she wanted to give something of herself to, something that meant a great deal to her, it would show gratitude, her belief in the strength of their bond, and how proud she was of him and his performance in the Tournament of the Blade.

Arla looked over again at the four small boxes that kept the treasures that she had guarded since her childhood. The symbols that her young mind had attached to them carried over into her adulthood. The symbols of a trust granted to her by a creature that was hunted, feared, killed, and respected.

Arla had gone hunting last week and in the old traditions skinned the shatual and now had it at the tanners.

The first day was about making sure all of the flesh, and fat had been removed from the skin. Arla sat before the skin that had been hung up to make it easier to work with. And with a long piece of metal with teeth on the edge she slowly dragged it across the skin, over and over until nothing remained on it. The skin was smooth.

 

[Arla Ordo]

The second day they laid the skin into a container, large enough that would allow it to lay flat and poured salt all over it, covering it in a thin layer. The Tanner told her to come back in two days, as that was how long it would take for the salt to draw out the moisture, and even then it might need more salt. She would need to look for wet areas which would show easily through the thing layer.

One the fourth day when she came they brushed all the salt from the hide. The hide had grown stiff from lack of moisture. They tried to shook out all of the salt once they took it from the contain. Arla couldn’t believe how it looked right now. But once the hide was shook clean of the salt and they placed in a vat of clean water until it become soft and pliable again.

 

[Arla Ordo]

The Tanner showed her how to make a brining solution of water. Two gallons of water, 1 ½ gallon of bran flake water, salt, formic acid, baking soda, and two very large contains.
They set the contains next to one another, dissolving the salt into hot water, then adding regular water, and then adding the bran flake water, and the formic acid.

Once that was ready they put the hide into the solution making sure that it went all the way under the water and soaked for almost an hour. An hour of a smell that Arla would not forget soon. This was work that too often people who used leather, and hides in their work did not want to do. The warriors among the Vod for certain would rather fight than have to perform these manual labors. Arla enjoyed learning how to do these things though, they would come in handy again in the future. The size of the hide they were using would give her enough material to do a few things that she had been dreaming of making.

 

[Arla Ordo]

And now to begin neutralizing the acid in the water, they added the baking soda, and stirred the water for about a half hour. They carefully removed the hide, rinsed it off, and then drained the solution. The solution could not be used more than once. They hung the hide over a rod giving it time to dry, the Tanner provided Arla with oil and showed her how to rub it into the skin.

The fifth day they stretched the skin out and placed it out underneath the sun of Mandalore. And now she would have to wait a few days to allow it the time it needed.

Arla as usual was wrapped up in the process she looked about at the other hides there sunning. “What’s that one there, it looks..um well I’ve never seen it”

The Tanner and Arla walked over to look at the piece she was pointing to. “That Arla is a terentak hide”

“Really.” She looked closer, “I’ve heard a lot about that, its like indestructible.”

Tanner laughed, “that’s what they say”

“Will there be any pieces left over?”

The Tanner looked, “How big a piece”

She looked at him, “OH enough that I could use it as coverings for my project”

He gave her an odd look, “Arla what is that good for?”

She smiled, “It would add something to it, is all.”

He looked at the hide, and then to Arla, “If there is some left over, I will see about getting you a piece, Arla the hide is expensive and hard to get. You will have to work it off. The price, and that's only if there anything left over, understand? Off with you now, come back in a few days."t.

 

[Arla Ordo]

It was growing closer to the time when she would need the jewelers help, and he had looked at her with disbelief when she had come in asking, and showing him the stone she had.

She had not left the treasure with him, he had made her feel odd about it all. She didn’t understand any of what he was saying. It didn’t matter what he kept trying to convince her of, what mattered was that he could do what she asked and that was to shine the stone, without hurting it.

She had brought the box today and was spending the hour with the jeweler to watch what he did to one of the few things she held so dear.

She smiled as she came in pushing her hair back, “Are you ready for me?”

He waved her on, “You sure about this, I can get you”

Arla put up her hand, “I’m sure I know you’re saying it is worth a lot of money, I just right now don’t have that need. I’m happy with what I have, and I tell you what if ever I change my mind I will come to you”

“Ok Arla, come on”

In the back he showed her a machine, “We have to put it inside, it will only take a little bit to make it shiny like you want”

 

[Arla Ordo]

She set the box on the counter, and carefully opened it handing the precious stone to Adam.

He opened the polisher next to him, “It will only take a moment or two”

She nodded, fear welling up inside her, she didn’t want it hurt and part of her still believed the dragon lived inside. She bit her lip when he closed the lid, her hands gripped the edge of the counter as the whirling noise began.

Oh gosh, anxious she was about it. Was it breaking, it sounded like that. Was it hurt, oh she was being so silly she knew.

The time seemed to drag on forever until it stopped, opened and brought out the brightest bluest stone she had ever seen. Inside there looked to be a light glowing. Adam handed her a soft cloth, “Wipe it clean gently, even after you do with it what you want, always wipe it with this cloth”

“Thank you Adam, I’ll bring you that hind quarter tomorrow” she had bartered a few minutes of the polisher with what had taken her nearly a day to hunt and butcher.

 

[Arla Ordo]

Two days later Arla was back at the Tanner brushing out the hide giving it the soft suede like appearance, she worked the hide most of the day. Adam did not bother her much just watching her work the skin, that she didn’t need help or have a question.

She was growing stronger by all this work. But knowing that her task would soon be finished and the last bit to be done.

As she took the hide off the rack for the last time Adam came up to her, “There are a few pieces Arla I don't know if it is near as much as you wanted but it is tarentak, and most durable as a skin."

Arla looked at the pieces, what was garbage to one a treasure to another, and that was what Arla saw treasure in the pieces.

“I’ll be by to work the day for you next week, from dawn to dark anything that needs to be done in exchange for the materials it took to make the hide” She had bartered her time for use of his tannery, and his knowledge.

 

[Arla Ordo]

Everything sat before her to do, she began by cutting according to the pattern she had been given. The shatual was soft and flexible and would be comfortable against the skin. The Tarentak hide would be the coverings on the back, it was tough, durable, unbreakable she thought. It would look nice against the shatual hide.

Arla began rechecking the hide of the shatual. She was sure there was enough for what she wanted to have made. She looked over at the tarentak and hoped that it would too lend to the creation of the gift.

She looked again at the stone. She hoped the dragon would forgive her, but she truly felt this was the right thing to do.

She remembered that day in the cave as if it happened yesterday, all the skulls small and large but these stones that seemed to glow on the sand, beneath the sand had made that cave not one of death, but of continuance. Maybe even rebirth.

 

[Arla Ordo]

She would now have to make another deal with the leather shop to stitch what she had cut out. Her hands were raw from working the hide each time she flexed her fingers it hurt. She had not approached the owner yet unsure if she had enough of anything.

She entered the shop with the items nodding to the owner, “I’ve come to make a deal”

She sat and haggled with the man for an hour, he would not work in trade, and he would not allow her to be part of the process. He eyed the gem that she carried he didn’t understand, nor care about her attachment or misunderstanding of its value.

Arla would not give him the stone there was too much personal value in it. "Do you like the cut of the pattern, I can work for free to pay for the stitching, and for putting in the other things to hold the pattern together" She wasn't afraid of work.

The Owner, man named Aron shook his head, and looked again at her. "I shouldn't but your Vod, so we'll work it out. Leave it here, I'll call you when its done"

 

[Arla Ordo]

No one would actually know how much work she had done with this, would not know that putting the work in made it feel more personal rather than something that was just purchased and given. The simpliest thing that could be given for what had been accomplished.

But the other item was yet to be picked up from the Jeweler. He had looked at her trying to convince her otherwise but this was personal something perhaps he would never understand. She walked into the store, "Is it ready?"

This she had paid the credits for when she looked upon the stone she couldn't believe how the light from within shone so brightly. It was perfect.

A long golden chain that curved around the dragon's soul, "Thank you, this is more than I could have ever wanted it to be" The next stop worried her the most.

She hoped that it had turned out the way she wanted, when she passed through the door she could see the box sitting on the counter, "This one is mine right?" She asked excitedly. What had all the work and barter produced.

Inside they lay. "Thank you" She walked out it was time to send what she had off.